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Bill Hunt

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Notes, quotes and anecdotes from the UNB ring ceremony -- and a clue as to why we might just be doing this all again next year:

Sat in the back row at the Kingswood Lodge the other night for the second time in three years. Wish I'd sat closer to the front so I could see the wonder on the faces of the athletes and staff as they were presented with their Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's hockey championship rings, a massive rock with 23 stones decorating an image of the Cavendish University Cup, with UNB in red block letters across the face. Master of ceremonies Dave Morell called it "a work of art."

***

UNB athletic director Kevin Dickie says future champions -- and I'm betting there will be more -- will get their rings too.

"Times get tough at UNB, but I'll tell you what, we're going to find a way as long as it's on my watch," he said.

Larry Hachey, the director of the UNB Associated Alumni, said the same thing -- "we'll always be there for you," is the way he put it -- and thanked the team "on behalf of both campuses of UNB, Saint John and Fredericton, and the 65,000 UNB alumni all over the world.

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MacDougall was...well, MacDougall. He works a microphone like a maestro. He talked about the fine line between the 2007 national championship team, and the 2008 team which won just about every game but the last one, when they were denied by Aaron Sorochan and the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

"In 2007, we came back from Moncton, there were people waiting to meet us at the Aitken Centre. Everyone was excited, the premier of the province had us down to the Legislative Building. And that trophy went everywhere."

In 2008, the V-Reds set club records, but came up one goal short.

"We were that much different," said MacDougall, holding his fingers a millimeter apart.

"But there was no premier. There was no greeting at the Aitken Centre...there was not much difference."

***

One of the slogans that fueled the team's drive to the title last year was "Make It Right." Another was "Success and sacrifice are brothers."

"We came up with a few slogans last year and every time we came up with another slogan (team photographer) Brian Smith would make us another poster. We had more posters than any other team in Canada, guaranteed."

***

Josh Hepditch has been to four straight national championship finals, beginning with the Memorial Cup final as a Moncton Wildcat in 2006. The 'Cats lost to Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts that year. He was on the winning side in 2007 and 2009 with the V-Reds, of course. And though this is an even year and would break the pattern, "this year, he claims he's going to make it 3 and 2, and I'm holding him to his word."

***

There were a couple of letters from absent champions the other night. Stacy Smallman wrote of the conversation he had with Dax MacLean, who was a key part of the first UNB national hockey championship team in 1997-98. He recalled MacLean coming up to him at a rally to celebrate the 2007 championship, shaking his hand and simply saying "Welcome to the Club."

"That's all he said," wrote Smallman. "To me, that meant three things: One, he knew how much we had sacrificed to get there. Two, there's a club, and he's obviously proud to be in it, and three, I'm in the club."

He welcomed the first time members, and in so doing, created the theme for the evening when MacDougall called the roll and presented the rings.

He closed the letter by congratulating the 2009-10 team and telling the rookies: "Take nothing for granted, work hard, and we are always looking for new members in our club."

He added a post script: "Congratulations Joe (Glenn). You're the only guy with three rings. You get to sit in the big chair in the clubhouse."

***

Another came from former captain Dustin Friesen.

"I still get goosebumps rewinding plays in my head," he wrote from Utah, where he now plays with the Grizzlies of the ECHL.

"Wear those rings with pride boys," he wrote. "Let it motivate you throughout this year and be a goal for you to shoot for again...remember boys whether you are a first year or a fifth year player, it's a privilege to play for this team and this program. This is the best program in the country. Continue to hold yourselves to the high standards that you have and there will be many more nights to come...."

***

Which is a perfect segue way to the comments of this year's captain, Kyle Bailey. The question surfaced after the latest football-esque blowout, a 7-1 win over the Dalhousie Tigers on home ice last Saturday: Is there any danger of overconfidence, of taking this ride for granted?

"The beauty of it is, when you have 24 or 25 guys on the roster, it sparks a lot of internal competition within the team," he said. "It's pretty impressive to watch our practices. Guys are going. Guys want to get in the lineup, and not only do they want to get in the lineup, they want to get their minutes. I sometimes sit back in practice and just go 'Holy smokes.' If we can keep working hard and keep improving, the future should be bright, I think."

***

No sooner had Justin DaCosta scored his first goal as a Muskegon Lumberjack last week than he was traded. He's now a Dayton Gem, swapped to the Ohio town for the well travelled future considerations.

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MacDougall mentioned forward Jim Cuddihy, who spent four seasons with the woeful Dalhousie Tigers before switching to UNB last season and playing a key role for the V-Reds while earning his Masters in business -- with a 3.8 grade point average, incidentally.

"Of all the people that have won this championship the last few years, there was no one who was more excited, more genuinely happy, or shed more tears than Jimmy Cuddihy."

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Shook hands with Rod Nolan, a former member of the UNB board of governors and the man who arranged for retired Mr. Justice David Dickson to address the V-Reds as a team before Remembrance Day. Gardiner MacDougall made mention of the conversation in his postgame comments Friday and his remarks were included in the story. Mr. Nolan made a point of thanking me, and told me Mr. Dickson was sitting nearby. I didn't go over to shake his hand -- maybe it was the whole idea of standing up in front of a judge -- but here's what I should have said to a World War II veteran, a man who was at Normandy on D Day.

Sir...thank you.

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Daine Todd's painting for the Kidney Foundation of Canada drew 23 bids and a winning bid of $232.29 Canadian on ebay.

"It's kind of after a (Michael) Godard painting I like," he said, describing the painting which depicts two apple slices dancing in a martini glass, while another dries himself off.

He's as nifty with a paint brush as he is with a hockey stick, obviously.

***

I hardly ever do this and I probably shouldn't now, but to Mr. -- or Ms. -- Blue Blazer. We need to talk. Blue Blazer -- I have no idea whether that's what he wears or what he drives, whether it's a nickname or whatever. But one of the comments on the canadaeast.com website under a story I wrote regarding the ring ceremony said "Go Reds.-Too bad we have Bill Hunt writing these stories. Fredericton needs a new sports writer."

Well sir -- or madam -- if you didn't like the story of Joe Glenn and his three championship rings, that's OK. Pretty sure Joe wasn't crazy about it either. He certainly wasn't comfortable talking about it. But your criticism is too broad. Too anonymous. Too personal. And not very constructive. What don't you like? What can I fix? My contact information is in the next line. I invite you -- I challenge you -- to use it. And I will have a lot more respect for you and your criticism if you sign your name.

Bill Hunt's column appears each Friday. He can be reached by phone at 458-6443 or by e-mail at hunt.bill@dailygleaner.com